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Interstate 70 Killer
Real Name: Unrevealed Aliases: No Known Aliases Wanted For: Murder Missing Since: May 7, 1992; January 15, 1994 Case Details: Interstate 70 runs from Baltimore, Maryland to Cove Fort, Utah. Beginning in April 1992, the highway has lent its name to a serial killer known as the "Interstate 70 Killer," who has committed a string of murders within a few miles of it in several Midwestern states. The first victim was twenty-six-year-old Robin Fuldauer; she was shot and killed on April 8, 1992 at her place of employment, a Payless ShoeSource store in Indianapolis, Indiana. Three days later, thirty-two-year-old Patricia Magers and twenty-three-year-old Patricia Smith were also shot to death in the back store room of a Wichita, Kansas bridal shop that they worked at, "La’ Bride d’Elegance". Both were happily married; Magers and her husband had owned the shop at the time. Three weeks later, on May 3, 1992, twenty-four-year-old Nancy Kitzmiller was murdered at a Western boot shop in St. Charles, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. At the time, she was working at the shop as a manager. She had recently qualified to join a government map-making team and was awaiting assignment when she was killed. robin fuldauer1.jpg|Robin Fuldauer smith and magers.jpg|Patricia Smith and Patricia Magers Michael Mccown.jpg|Michael McCown Nancy Kitzmiller.jpg|Nancy Kitzmiller sarah blessing1.jpg|Sarah Blessing Mary Ann Thacker Glasscock.jpg|Mary Ann Glasscock Amy Vess.jpg|Amy Vess The four murders took place in three different states, separated by more than 1200 miles. At first glance, they seemed to be random killings. However, each one took place at a shopping mall, just off Interstate 70 or a connecting highway. Soon, it was clear that the cases were connected. The next victim was thirty-seven-year-old Sarah Blessing. She was slain in a gift shop at the Woodson Village Shopping Center in the Kansas City suburb of Raytown. This took place on May 7, four days after Nancy's murder. At 6:30PM, an auctioneer saw a mysterious unidentified man walk in and out of his store suspiciously. Minutes later, Tim Hickman, who owned a video store next to Sarah's store, saw a man walk past his store and enter the gift shop. He then heard a loud pop and saw the man walk around the corner near the store. A grocery clerk collecting shopping carts saw the man climb a hill to Interstate 70 and vanish. Meanwhile, Tim went into the gift shop and found Sarah's body. Ballistics tests confirmed that all women were killed by the same gun, a semi-automatic .22 caliber pistol (possibly an Intratec Scorpion or Erma Werke Model ET 22). The gun was then linked to another victim. On April 27, 1992, forty-year-old ceramics store clerk Michael 'Mick' McCown was murdered in Terre Haute, Indiana. McCown is the only male murder victim of the I-70 killer. McCown had long hair which he wore in a pony tail, and police believe that this caused the killer to mistake him for female. There are also possible links to two more deaths and an attempted murder along Interstates 35 and 45 in Texas. On September 25, 1993, fifty-one-year-old antiques store clerk Mary Ann Glasscock was killed execution-style in an Fort Worth, Texas antique store and twenty-two-year-old Amy Vess was murdered November 1, 1993, while working at a dancewear shop in Arlington, Texas. The surviving victim, Vicki Webb, was shot and left paralyzed by the assailant on January 15, 1994, in Houston. The best lead in the case came from Wichita in the Smith/Majors murder. Police believe that the killer chose the bridal shop because he believed that only a single female clerk was there. He was probably surprised to find two women on duty. Shortly after the two were shot, a male customer came to pick up a cummerbund for his tuxedo and was confronted by the killer. Surprisingly, he let the eyewitness leave without injury. The man went to police and helped create a composite of the killer. Suspect: The serial killer is a white male between 5'8" and 6'0"; he weighs 170 pounds and was thought to be between thirty-five and forty-years-old (in 1994). He has reddish hair, thin lips, a high forehead, and "lazy" eyelids. He was neatly dressed and clean-cut. He is described as walking around as if in a "trance", like he was "thinking about something else." Based on jeweler's rouge that was found on the bullet casings, it is believed that he knew about caring for weapons. Although he took some money from each of the victims, robbery is not believed to be his motive. Herb Baumeister from Westfield, Indiana was suspected of being the killer, but he committed suicide after numerous human bones were discovered on his estate. The bones turned out to be male; Baumeister was alleged to have killed male homosexuals and could not be linked to the murders of the women. However, he did match the description of the killer and dumped several bodies in at least two different states. Donald Michael Prince, later Donald Albin Blom, convicted in the murder of Kathlyn "Katie" Elizabeth Poirier and a second unknown victim since has also been named as a suspect in the I-70 killings. He was known to be suffering from throat cancer, which is now in remission, and to have owned a .22 semi automatic similar which was used to killed Patricia Magers and Patricia Smith. Extra Notes: The original airdate for this case was May 4, 1994; the case has also been profiled on America’s Most Wanted. It was also covered in much more detail on Dark Minds. Results: Wanted Links: * The I-70 Killer on Unsolved.com * The I-70 Killer on Wikipedia * Authorities believe killings may be related * Police link weapon to six killings * Police believe slayer has 'killing fever' * Clues sought in tri-state killings * Police search Midwest states for serial killer * Interstate 70 killer may have hit again * Series of homicides along I-70 began 8 years ago in Indianapolis * Police Release Information about I-70 Killer 20 Years Later * I-70 killings still unsolved 20 years later * I-70 holds the secrets to a serial killer * 1992 murders at bridal shop unsolved but not forgotten by women’s families * Investigators remain hopeful that they’ll find the so-called 'I-70 Killer' * The I-70 Killer, who terrorized Indiana and the Midwest, is still out there * On the Ice-Cold Trail of the I-70 Killer * I-70 victims on Find A Grave ---- Category:Indiana Category:Kansas Category:Missouri Category:1992 Category:Murder Category:Serial Killer Category:AMW Cases Category:Wanted